Fluid non-dairy creamer

ABSTRACT

A protein-free, lipoidal coffee whitener, the functional ingredients of which consist essentially of a pasteurized, homogenized water-rich lipoidal emulsion of about 6-15 edible fat and about 0.6-2 mixed lipoidal emulsifier, and water, said fat having a Wiley Melting Point below about 120° F., said emulsifier constituting about 0.3-1% low HLB mono- and diglyceride or propylene glycol partial ester of fat-forming acids and about 0.3-1% high HLB polyglycerol ester having an HLB value above about 10, a hydroxyl value of about 400-600, a saponification number of about 60-100, and acid values of less than about 10.

The present invention relates to fluid non-dairy creamers and, morespecifically, to such creamers commonly referred to as coffee whitenersadapted to be added to acidic, hot beverages such as coffee.

BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

A typical coffee whitener formulation has the following composition:

    ______________________________________    Vegetable fat        6-12%    Sweetening agents (sugar, corn    syrup solids, corn syrup)                         4-10% (solids basis)    Protein              .75-1.5%    Emulsifier           0.2-1.0%    Buffer               0.1-0.5%    Stabilizer           0.02-0.15%    ______________________________________

the remainder being water. A similar formulation is described in priorU.S. Pat. No. 3,563,761, the protein being sodium caseinate.

As pointed out in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,563,761 patent, the sodiumcaseinate serves the function in a fat/water emulsion of encapsulatingthe fat globules, as a film former, and binding water, thus stabilizingthe emulsion and preventing oil/water separation.

Sodium caseinate, however, is in short supply and its use in foodcompositions adds substantially to the cost of such compositions. Inaddition, it is necessary, when using a protein such as sodiumcaseinate, to also add a buffer to prevent "feathering" of the protein.Most coffees have a low pH near the isoelectric point of the proteinwhich causes the protein to coagulate when the whitener is added to thecoffee, in turn resulting in a breakdown of the emulsion. The bufferingsalts hydrolyze to slightly basic solutions, increasing the pH to abovethe isoelectric point.

Common, acceptable buffers are disclosed in prior U.S. Pat. No.4,092,438 and include such phosphate salts as dipotassium phosphate andcertain citrate salts.

Many recent developments have been made directed to the problems ofemulsion stability and feathering in coffee whiteners. In addition tothe two patents mentioned above, reference can be had to the followingrepresentative patents:

U.S. Pat. No. 3,695,889 (Avoset) is on the use of an emulsifier blendcomprising polysorbate 60, sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate, and propyleneglycol monostearate in a buffered/caseinate product.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,712,865 (Lever Bros.) describes acylating protein inoil-in-water emulsions. This patent, as with the U.S. Pat. No. 3,563,761patent, discusses the importance of protein to provide an interface andprevent oil droplet coalescence.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,958,033 (General Foods) describes a protein-freenon-homogenized emulsion containing nearly 50% sugar, about 25% water,and about 25% lipid including fat and an emulsifier blend comprising alactylate or fumurate salt, or succinylated monoglyceride, alone, or incombination with an adjunct emulsifier such as propylene glycolmonostearate.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,025,659 (Ralston-Purina Co.) describes a coffee whitenercomposition containing soy protein isolate which is said to exhibitsubstantial resistance to feathering or oil separation in hot coffee,provided the soy is used in combination with caseinate.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,045,589 (Carnation Co.) describes a coffee whitenerwhich is protein-free but which contains a chemically modifieddextrinized starch having a lipophilic character.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,046,926 (General Foods Ltd.) describes a non-dairycreamer composition based on sodium caseinate and containing effectiveamounts of sodium carbonate and a phosphate or citrate for what is saidto be improved resistance to feathering.

In all of the above patents, except U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,958,033 and4,045,589, caseinate or other protein is considered an essentialingredient. Only in the two exceptions, is there described a compositionwhich is protein-free. In the U.S. Pat. No. 3,958,033 patent, thecomposition disclosed is a concentrate which is very viscous andobtaining a stable emulsion would not be difficult. Contributing to theviscosity is a large amount of sugar and a consumer could well find thesweetness level to be objectionable. The fat level also would tend tomake the formulation representative of a rich cream rather than aconventional coffee whitener. Similar disadvantages exist with regard tothe U.S. Pat. No. 4,045,589 patent.

In addition to the above patents, reference can be had to thepublication Process Biochemistry, December 1972, by Stewart & Hughes. Onpage 28, it is disclosed that blends of the polyglycerol estes Admul 19and 57, alone or in combination with monoglycerides, are commonly usedin liquid and powdered coffee whiteners. There is nothing to indicatethat the coffee whiteners referred to are other than the conventionalsodium caseinate-containing whiteners.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention resides in the discovery that a non-dairy coffeewhitener, adapted to be added to an acidic, hot environment, can beprepared by pasteurizing and homogenizing a water-rich lipoidal emulsionconsisting essentially of about 6-15% edible fat, about 0.6-2% mixedlipoidal emulsifier, and water, the fat having a Wiley Melting Pointbelow about 120° F., said emulsifier constituting about 0.3-1% low HLBmono- and diglyceride or propylene glycol partial ester of fat-formingacids and about 0.3-1% high HLB polyglycerol ester having an HLB valueabove about 10, a hydroxyl value of about 400-600, a saponificationnumber of about 60-100 and acid values of less than about 10.

Preferred polyglycerol esters are octaglycerol monooleate andoctaglycerol monostearate.

It is a totally surprising, fortuitous, and unexpected discovery thatthe coffee whitener formulation of the present invention, being free ofprotein, can be added to an acidic, hot environment, such as hot coffee,without coalescence of the fat globules. Although not bound by anyparticular theory, it is believed that this is due to a uniquecombination of factors; namely, concentrations, wet basis, of the lipidingredients, the combination of specific lipid ingredients stated, andhomogenization preferably carried out to obtain an average particle sizeof less than about 2-3 microns for the fat globules.

In addition to the lipid ingredients stated, which for purposes of thepresent application may along with water be considered the functionalingredients, the coffee whitener of the present invention may alsocontain such non-functional ingredients as flavoring, e.g. sugar,preservatives, and a small amount of thickeners.

Advantages of the present invention should be apparent. A principaladvantage is that the coffee whitener of the present invention has arelatively thin viscosity, representative of conventional fluid,casein-containing whiteners. In addition, the whitener formulation doesnot require a high sugar content and can be sweetened to whatever levelof sweetness is desired. The formulation of the present invention alsohas the advantage of long shelf life and, being free of protein such ascaseinate, relatively low cost.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

Preferred low HLB emulsifiers of the present invention are partial fattyacid esters of glycerol and propylene glycol having an HLB value notsubstantially greater than about 5 and a Capillary Melting Pointsufficiently high to have a normally hard consistency at roomtemperature of about 70° F. Emulsifiers falling within this category aremono- and diglycerides which are in normally solid form. One such mono-and diglyceride is Dur-em 117 (trademark SCM Corporation), having an HLBvalue of about 2.8, made from 5 max. IV hydrogenated soybean oil, havinga Capillary Melting Point of about 145°-150° F. and 40% minimumalpha-monoglyceride content. This emulsifier is marketed with an amountof citric acid to help protect flavor.

Another such mono- and diglyceride is Dur-em 127 (trademark SCMCorporation), marketed in white bead form, having an alpha-monoglyceride content of 40% minimum, an IV of 5 (max.) and a CapillaryMelting Point of about 140°-145° F. A third such emulsifier is Dur-em207, sold in white bead or flake form, having an alpha-monoglyceridecontent of 52% minimum, an IV of 5 (max.) and a Capillary Melting Pointof about 140°-146° F. Both Dur-em 127 and Dur-em 207 are marketed withan amount of citric acid to help protect flavor.

A suitable propylene glycol ester is Durpro 107 (trademark SCMCorporation), marketed in flake form, having a propylene glycol mono-and diester content of about 50-60%, a monoglyceride content of about10-15%, and a Capillary Melting Point of about 115°-125° F. Thisemulsifier has an HLB value of about 2.2.

The above emulsifiers are normally hard, making them convenient to use.However, a soft or plastic emulsifier can also be used, for instanceDur-em 114 (trademark SCM Corporation), a plastic mono- and diglyceridehaving about 40% minimum mono- content, an IV of 70-75, and a CapillaryMelting Point of about 110°-120° F. Also useful is glycerol monooleate(GMD), marketed by Emery Industries under the trademark Emrite 6009,comprising mono- and diglycerides of food grade oleic acid having an IVof at least 60, at least 46% alpha-monoglyceride, less than 7% freeglycerine and 9.5% propylene glycol. A similar composition is Atmos 300,markted by ICI United States, Inc.

The partial glycerol ester emulsifier can also be a distilledmonoglyceride such as Myverol 18-06 and 18-85 (trademarks EastmanChemical), containing about 90% monoglyceride.

The polyglycerol esters of the present invention are generally a mixtureof unsaturated and saturated fatty acid esters of a mixture ofpolyglycerols in which the range of polyglycerol is from octaglycerol todecaglycerol. The unsaturated and saturated fatty acids generallycontain 16 to 18 carbon atoms and are typically derived from corn oil,cottonseed oil, lard, palm oil, peanut oil, safflower oil, sesame oil,soybean oil, tallow, and tall oil and the fatty acids derived from thesesubstances either hydrogenated or unhydrogenated. The polyglycerolesters are prepared by the polymerization of glycerol with an alkalinecatalyst as exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 3,637,774, or an acid catalystas exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 3,968,169 and then esterifying thepolyglycerol by reaction with fatty acids in a direct esterification orby reaction with fats and oils in an interesterification process.Suitable high HLB polyglycerol esters broadly have a hydroxyl value ofabout 400-600, a saponification number of about 60-100, and acid valueof less than about 10.

A preferred high HLB polyglycerol ester emulsifier component of thepresent invention is selected from the group consisting of octaglycerolmonooleate (8-1-O) and octaglycerol monostearate (8-1-S). These twoemulsifiers are marketed by SCM Corporation under the tradmarks Santone8-1-O and Santone 8-1-S, respectively. Santone 8-1-O is described as anormally liquid polyglycerol ester of fatty acids having an IV of about25-35, an HLB of about 13 and a Saponification Value of about 77-88. Itcontains about 60-68% oleic acid and has a hydroxyl number of about500-570 and an acid number of under 4.1. Santone 8-1-S is a similar suchester, but normally solid, having an IV of about 3 max., a MettlerDropping Point of 52°-57° C., an HLB of about 13, and a SaponificationValue of about 77-88. By normally solid or liquid, it is meant thatphase which exists at room temperature (about 70° F.). By "high HLB", itis meant having an HLB value above about 10. Other suitable polyglycerolesters are decaglycerol monostearate, decaglycerol monoshortening,decaglycerol monooleate, decaglycerol monolaurate, decaglyceroltristearate, and decaglycerol trioleate.

Given a fat content of about 6-15% and a total emulsifier content ofabout 0.6-2%, this results in an emulsion consisting essentially of, ona wet basis, about 6.6-17% total lipid, the balance being water. Apreferred lipid content is about 10-12%. The viscosity of the emulsionof the present invention is less than about 20 centipoises, at 40° F.,as measured on a Brookfield Viscometer, Model LVF, using a No. 1 spindleat 60 rpm. At about 11% lipid, and roughly 40° F., the Brookfieldviscosity is about 5-6 centipoises. This viscosity can be increasedsomewhat by addition of thickeners and carbohydrate sweetener. Still,the viscosity of the emulsions of the present invention is quite low bycomparison with conventional oil-water emulsions, and yet the emulsionsunder refrigeration, remain stable for prolonged periods, e.g. sixweeks, which at the viscosities stated, is totally surprising andunexpected. Again, the viscosities are those comparable to conventionalprotein-containing creamers or whiteners.

One fat which can be used in the present invention is a nonlauric fate(that is, one having a low lauric acid content--C₁₂) which ishydrogenated ane elaidinized to provide a desired hardness or highsolids content sufficient to maintain a substantially plasticconsistency throughout a wide temperature range, and at the same time arapid melting at elevated temperatures above about 110° F. withoutretention of a waxy mouth feel.

One suitable such elaidinized fat is a partially hydrogenated vegetableoil (cottonseed or soybean) marketed under the trademark Duromel, (SCMCorporation) having an IV of 60-65, a Wiley Melting Point of 101°-105°F., and a solid fat index of:

    ______________________________________    Temperature °F.                  Approx. Solid-Fat Index    ______________________________________    50            56    70            43    80            36    92            16    100           4 max.    ______________________________________

Duromel has a free fatty acid content of 0.1 max.

Another suitable such fat that can be used in the composition of thepresent invention is a partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (cottonseedor soybean) marketed under the trademark Kaomel (SCM Corporation) havinga Wiley Melting Point of 97°-101° F., an IV of 59, and a solid-fat indexas follows:

    ______________________________________    Temperature °F.                  Approx. Solid-Fat Index    ______________________________________    50            72    70            63    80            55    92            21    100           3 max    ______________________________________

Wiley Melting Point is determined by AOCS method Cc-2-38. Theapproximate solid-fat index is determined by AOCS method Cd-10-57.

Still, a third fat that can be used is a partially hydrogenated 5 max.IV coconut oil marketed by SCM Corporation under the trademark Hydrol100. This fat has a Wiley Melting Point in the range of 98°-102° F., afree fatty acid content of 0.05% (maximum), and a minimum AOM of 100.The SFI data for Hydrol 100 is as follows:

    ______________________________________    Temperature °F.                  Approx. Solid-Fat Index    ______________________________________    50            61-67    70            38-44    80            11-17    92            3-7    100           0-2    ______________________________________

One suitable oil useful in the present invention is coconut oil marketedby SCM under the trademark Konut. This oil has a Wiley Melting Point of75°-80° F., an AOM value of 100 hours minimum, and a free fatty acidcontent of 0.05% maximum.

Another fat useful in the present invention is a partially hydrogenatedoil selected from the group consisting of coconut, palm kernel, palm,soybean and cottonseed, marketed under the trademark Paramount X by SCMCorporation, the fat having a Wiley Melting Point of 112°-114° F. andSFI data as follows:

    ______________________________________    Temperature °F.                  Approx. Solid-Fat Index    ______________________________________    50            67    70            56    80            40    92            26    100           13    110            6    ______________________________________

Still one additional fat that may be employed is butterfat whichtypically has a Wiley Melting Point of about 95° F., an IV of about31.4, a C₁₆ or lower content of about 50%, and an SFI as follows

    ______________________________________    Temperature °F.                  Approx. Solid-Fat Index    ______________________________________    50            33    70            14    80            10    92             3    100            3    ______________________________________

Butterfat-containing fluid whiteners may have a shelf life somewhat lessthan those containing a hydrogenated and/or elaidinized fat.

In addition to the above ingredients, the coffee whitener of the presentinvention can contain additional additives as BHA, BHT, citric acid andthe like, as preservatives. Sweeteners such as corn syrup, saccharin,and sugar, can be employed in the present invention, and are considerednon-functional additives or ingredients. Normally, they would beemployed in small amounts to add the same sweetness level as exists inordinary dairy cream or conventional non-dairy coffee whiteners. Inaddition, flavorants such as vanillan or butter or cream flavoring canbe added, as well as colorants, including titanium dioxide. Gum orstarch thickeners might also be added, in small amounts. Illustrativepolysaccharides that may be employed in the present invention arewater-dispersible cellulose derivatives such as sodiumcarboxymethylcellulose, gum tragacanth, gum acacia, gum karaya, locustbean gum, cellulose ethers such as methyl cellulose, low methoxy pectin,propylene glycol alginate, sodium alginate, gellatinized starches andstarch derivatives such as hydroxypropyl starch, and Avicel RC 581(trademark FMC Corporation), a mixture of 89% cellulose gel(microcrystalline celluose and 11% cellulose gum), and sodiumcarboxymethylcellulose.

Such thickeners are employed in the amount of less than about 0.5%.

EXAMPLE 1

A whitener was produced from the following ingredients:

    ______________________________________    Ingredient             Percent    ______________________________________    Partially hydrogenated vegetable    fat (Duromel)          10    Polyglycerol ester (8-1-S)                           .55    Mono- and diglyceride (Dur-em 117)                           .5    Water                  89.5    Sweetener              Optional    Flavor                 Optional    Color                  Optional                           100%    ______________________________________

The coffee whitener was prepared by heating water to 130° F. and addingthe lipids (Duromel, polyglycerol ester and mono- diglyceride) to it.The mix then was heated to 160° F. and held for 15 minutes, followingwhich it was homogenized at 2500/500 psi through a two-stagehomogenizer. Homogenization follows conventional dairy technology. Themix was rapidly cooled to 40° F., packaged and refrigerated at 40° F.

In the above formulation, 36 DE corn syrup can be used at a level of12%, with excellent results.

An Agtron instrument was used to measure reflectance. This instrument ismade by Magnuson Engineers of San Jose, Calif. In the test, the whitenedcoffee was poured into an Agtron cup to three-quarter full and the cupwas placed in the instrument Reflectance Colormeter, which has beenstandardized with a 07-44 disc using a green filter. High reflectancereadings were indicative of greater whitening power. The whitener gavereflectance readings consistantly of about 41-42. By comparison,Coffee-mate, a caseinate-containing commercial whitener, also gives areflectance reading of about 42.

The whiteners of this Example were found to resist oil separation andrancidity for long periods under refrigeration, up to two month's time.Only very slight oil droplets on top of the emulsion were noted. Theamount was considered acceptable. The whitener had a pH of about 6-6.2.

If desired, it is possible to blend the lipid ingredients together at anelevated temperature of about 160° F., to render all the lipids molten,and then subjected the same to rapid cooling in a plate-type cooler orswept-wall heat exchanger to form a homogeneous solid mass of suchingredients. This can be facilitated using a propylene glycol couplingagent as disclosed in prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,230,090, to Theodore J.Weiss. The disclosure of this patent is incorporated by referenceherein. Then, for making the coffee whitener emulsion of the presentinvention, it is a simple matter to again melt the lipid ingredients andsubject them to high-shear mixing with the right amount of water andwater soluble ingredients, if any. Homogenization is carried out toproduce an emulsion having an average particle size less than about 2-3microns. At homogenization pressures of 2500/500, an average particlesize of less than about 1 micron is obtained.

Both formulations of this Example had a viscosity after homogenizationof about 5 centipoises at about 40° F.

Homogenization is critical to produce a desired size of the fatglobules, less than about 2-3 microns (average particle size),preferably less than about 1 micron, for the purposes of emulsionstability and whitening power. Whereas homogenization pressures of2500/500 in a two-stage homogenizer produces excellent results, goodresults can also be obtained at other pressures ranging from 1000 to6000, using either a single or two-stage homogenizer.

In the above Example, pasteurization was carried out at 160° F. and heldfor 15 minutes. It is an aspect of the present invention that the coffeewhitener formulation can also be subjected to ultra-high pasteurizationat temperatures of 280°-300° F. for 2-6 seconds, without adverseeffects. Protein-containing coffee whiteners subjected to suchtemperatures are likely to suffer from protein breakdown. Ultra-highpasteurization offers the advantage of extended shelf life.

EXAMPLE 2

The purpose of this Example was to establish functionality at varyinglevels of polyglycerol ester and mono- and diglyceride with a fat suchas Duromel. The whiteners were produced from the following ingredients:

    ______________________________________    Ingredient           Percent    ______________________________________    Partially hydrogenated vegetable    fat (Duromel)        10    Emulsifier blend     variable    Water                balance                         100%    ______________________________________

The following Table gives details with regard to the emulsifier blendsemployed and results obtained. All of the emulsions were homogenized at5000/1000 psi in a two-stage homogenizer.

                  TABLE 1    ______________________________________    Emulsifier Blend*               Oil                 Mono- and          Agtron  Droplets    Sample          8-1-S  diglyceride                           Viscosity                                    Reading In Coffee    ______________________________________    A     .55    .3        40° F./5 cps                                    141° F./41                                            slight    G     .55    .5        39° F./6 cps                                    145° F./41                                            slight    H     .45    .5        41° F./6 cps                                    147° F./40                                            slight    ______________________________________     *Weight percent based on total emulsion weight.

Based on the data of the above table and other data, it was concludedthat mono- diglyceride and polyglycerol ester contents above about 0.3%each based on the total weight of the emulsion, could give Agtronreadings above about 40 with only minimal oil drop formation on the topof the coffee. The formation of slight oil droplets was consideredacceptable. Acceptable ranges for the mono- diglycerides andpolyglycerol esters are about 0.3-1% for each ingredient. It was alsofound that approximately equal proportions of each ingredient providedoptimum results.

What is claimed is:
 1. A protein-free, lipoidal coffee whitener, thefunctional ingredients of which consist essentially ofa pasteurized,homogenized water-rich lipoidal emulsion of about 6-15% edible fat andabout 0.6-2% mixed lipoidal emulsifier, and water, said fat having aWiley Melting Point below about 120° F., said emulsifier constitutingabout 0.3-1% low HLB, not substantially greater than 5, mono-anddiglyceride or propylene glycol partial ester of fat-forming acids andabout 0.3-1% polyglycerol ester of fatty acids having an HLB value aboveabout 10, a hydroxyl value of about 400-600, a saponification number ofabout 60-100, and acid values of less than about
 10. 2. The coffeewhitener of claim 1 wherein said polyglycerol ester is octaglycerolmonooleate or octaglycerol monostearate.
 3. The coffee whitener of claim2 prepared by blending the lipid ingredients with water at an elevatedtemperature for a time and temperature sufficient to pasteurize orsterilize the same, then homogenizing the blend in an homogenizer atpressures between about 1000 and 6000 psig, followed by rapid cooling ina plate or other cooler to about 40° F. and packaging of the same. 4.The coffee whitener of claim 2 wherein said mixed lipoidal emulsifiercomprises a mono- and diglyceride having an HLB value not substantiallygreater than about 5 and said polyglycerol ester in about equalproportions.
 5. The coffee whitener of claim 4 wherein the total lipidcontent of said lipoidal emulsion is about 10%.
 6. The coffee whitenerof claim 1 containing sugar added in low amounts to a sweetness levelexisting in ordinary cream.
 7. The coffee whitener of claim 1 having aviscosity less than about 20 centipoises at 40° F. as measured on aBrookfield Viscometer, Model LVF, using a No. 1 spindle at 60 rpm. 8.The coffee whitener of claim 1 wherein the fat has an AOM stability ofat least about 1000 hours.
 9. The coffee whitener of claim 1 homogenizedto an average particle size of less than about 1 micron.